Grandpas Road

Last night as I was sewing my quilt, I thought of my Grandpa, He was a wonderful old man. To me he was just Grandpa. He spent most of his time on the Quachita River. He loved to fish. That is how he made a living. His tools consisted of a carbide light, that is a light that you fill with carbide and you can place it on your hat, so your hands are free to work the nets, poles etc, at night. Yes my grandpa fished at night too.
He also had a boat, not a big fancy one but a wood one, He may have even made it himself. I can still see that old boat leaning against a tree, only in bad weather though. On that same tree was a net strung between the limbs so it would dry out. He went out every day.
I still can picture one catfish he caught, It was huge, and this is not an exaggeration, That fish was so big it filled the entire bed of a truck, and its tail extended over the back, I was afraid to get too close. It was almost like a monster from the deep. I often told David about that fish and he often argued with me that was not possible, so you know me, I proved it ., While visiting my Mom I said 'Mama did Grandpa catch a huge catfish that filled a truck"? She said Yes he did and when I was just a girl he caught one just as big. I was in the boat with him, and I could nto swim, I was sure I was going to drown. she often fished with grandpa, so when they moved to our town, my mama took her papa to the river every year. she took good care of her daddy. She called him PAPA.
When we would go to their house, we had to watch for fish scales, My grandpa cleaned fish anywhere he felt like it. We went barefooted a lot and a fish scale in a foot was sheer pain.
When we would go to visit, there was no bridge at the river, so my uncles, his sons, made or bought a ferry , so we would cross the river on that ferry. When the car was put onto the ferry, we had to get out and sit on the river bank, then we had to sit on the ferry, as far away from the water as possible. I asked my uncle Hugh, "how did you power that ferry, I know you didnt have a motor." He explained, There was a cable over the river, they then took a hook and pulled the ferry across the river. Amazing huh?
Today a bridge stands at that old house, and the house still stands. A testament to the quality of building in the early 1900s. I played under that house a lot. It was and is at least 6 feet off the ground. That is in case of flooding, which that river does often.
Mama told me when I was a baby they lived in that house, the river came up and she refused to get in the boat with all us kids, she was afraid it would tip, The water was rushing, as you know flood water do. They had to evacuate, Daddy picked me up in a blanket and took me to the boat, she said she had no choice but to follow, he had the babies and no way was she letting him take the babies out without her.
I recall lots of good times on that river, the place we often visited and definitely visited every July Fourth. My uncles came to the river to see us and camp with us every time we went. My uncle Hugh told me jokes all time. He said he loved to make me laugh. And I always was a easy mark for his jokes. I really thank God for my family I grew up with, I had wonderful Uncles. One uncle let me get in a chair behind him and comb his hair, He had curly hair and he was so handsome.
Uncle James talked like Donald Duck. He made me laugh at that too. I asked him a few years ago, did he still do it, He smiled and talked for me. Ken does that now and Jarod is trying to copy him. I asked Kris what is wrong with Jarods voice, she said "Oh Ken is talking like Donald and Jarod is tryign to copy. LOL
Anyway I have lots of stories, I really need to write them down.
Oh in case you have never seen a ferry, I have photo of that ferry, I picked it up at a museum in Sparkman, They copied it for me.